SPANISH HARLEM, NY – Major League Baseball has done some great things showcasing its history with players that have made a difference in the sport and in life. Jackie Robinson was one of those players; the first black player in the majors and someone who faced tremendous racism but rose above the hate to become a beacon of hope for all players of color. It’s the main reason why players today from all ethnicities get to play the beautiful game of baseball. We have definitely come a long way. Yet, there are moments when racism can still rear its ugly head… like it did when the Red Sox and Orioles had a series at Fenway Park that put Chris Sale, Manny Machado, Adam Jones and fans in the spotlight.
Adam Jones spoke up in Boston, about the racist remarks he heard from fans during the game on Monday. He spoke about the time someone called him the N-word and threw peanuts his way. In total over 34 fans were thrown out of the stadium because of their perverse actions. Nobody can say that every fan thrown out was being racist but they must have said or done something bad enough for security to intervene. It’s despicable that players still have to deal with this type of abuse from fans… it’s one thing to heckle a player and try to get them out their game, but it’s another when you use racist remarks to anger someone who has been a great player and spokesman for the game of baseball.
I’m glad that Adam Jones decided to speak about what he faced from fans that day because it could happen anywhere, not just in Boston. We live in a time where people are more forgiving, more inclusive and more understanding, but we also know that there will always be racist people. No matter how much we progress, there will always be people that see things differently. There will always be fans that take things too far. Hopefully, with Jones speaking about what transpired, more fans will think about their actions and how it may affect not just the players they interact with but the city they represent. With that said ,the standing ovation the fans gave him the day after was well deserved and shows that there are more good baseball fans than bad.
However… Just when you think all is well in Red Sox Country, Chris Sale took it upon himself to throw at Baltimore Orioles third Baseball Manny Machado… AGAIN! For those of you that don’t know, last week Machado slid into second base and unintentionally spiked second baseman Dustin Pedroia. Replays showed that Machado slid late but I don’t think anyone felt that it was done on purpose. So as you can expect, when Machado came to bat he was thrown at by pitcher Matt Barnes, who felt the need to retaliate by throwing at his head. This led the Orioles’ third baseman’s profanity-laced post-game interview, about how much respect he lost for the Red Sox organization. And you know what? I don’t blame him. It was classless by Sale and Manager John Farrell, who allowed it to happen.
Hey Boston, get your act together!
Okay… That was better.
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